For the past 5 years, I've written a "What's special about..." paragraph for each child. I enlarge the font and print each on special paper. Then I read each one aloud to the kids. It's nice when it's over, but boy I dread all that careful writing. So, I wanted to do something different this year. I'm still doing very special awards, so there's a lot of writing involved, but it won't be quite so difficult.

The gifts are going to be quilt squares! :-D I get too busy sometimes to quilt daily, and I miss it. I knew this would force me to make quilting a priority. :wink:

Okay--background, so you'll understand. In my class, I always talk about two main themes: make the most of each day (Example I give them: When I get to the end of my life, I'd rather say I made 75 quilts and gave many away, rather than say I watched every eopisode of a TV series.) and the life is cake idea. That's the story about our lives being a recipe for cake--and if everything was sweet--the cake wouldn't turn out right, but when the yucky stuff like eggs, salt, and baking soda are added, the cake it perfect. This symbolizes our lives--bad things happen, but the cake will just be amazing once everything balances out. My students will say they had a salt moment, or they had a taste of raw eggs when hard things happen.

Black and White Splash quilts, to me, illustrate this idea. The b+w fabrics symbolize everything we have to do: comb our hair, do the dishes, complete homework, go to bed. The splashes of color represent all the little joys in life, for me: kissing a horse's muzzle, planting a garden, reading a great book, the smell of hay... So, each student is getting a black and white splash square. We'll talk awhile about it when I pass them out in late June. I'l be making a small hanging of eight squares to hang in the classrom for next year.

With all these plans, I knew I needed to get started, so all the blocks have three black on white sides. Next will be adding the fourth with color at each end.

I took pics for a friend, so thought I'd share the project.

The square.

Centers

Cutting pieces apart--these are all done and on the blocks!

Lots of colors!

I'll pick just 5-6 of these for the outside pieces. Need to cut pieces this week!

Karla, you have such wonderful ideas for your classroom and students!! I would have loved to have you for a teacher for my children!!!
I think those would be wonderful and a great remembrance of the wonderful school year they had with you!!!

What a wonderful way to explain life to kids :lol: And then they will have the quilt squares to remind them forever . I wish my sons had , had a teacher like you when they were in school. Sadly Teachers like you are so rare these days. Bless you for talking a job that is usually under appreciated.

You are so sweet! What a wonderful thing to do for the children! It is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives and they will have a keepsake to remember you by! They are going to love it I'm sure!!!
We definitely need alot more caring teachers like you!